The arts and crafts of knitting and crocheting are quite old. Knitting needles have not changed much since the earliest evidence of the technique was disclosed. Knitting needles come in different lengths and diameters and are made of a variety of materials. For the most part the only embellishment lies in the shape and size of the heads of the knitting needles. Crochet needles or hooks have not exhibited any embellishments.
During the fabrication of a knitted article it is often necessary to measure the work-piece before altering the stitch pattern or the shape of the work-piece. The knitter had to have a measuring tape or rule handy at all times so as not to have to stop work to locate one when a measurement had to be made. Crochet work-pieces fabricated in one piece or in several large pieces also require frequent measurements. Schoolfield tried to remedy this situation by disclosing the application of a measuring scale to the surface of the knitting needle. She also described a hollow needle composed of a transparent material and a measuring scale applied to a central core. The central core was inserted into the hollow needle and was visible through the transparent material. The zero point of the scale was located at the junction between the head and the shaft of the needle. (U.S. Pat. No. 1,340,255)
Burg, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,258,925, developed a knitting needle having a reduced area along one side. The needle could be inserted into an arcuate element with a hollow pointed bottom portion. The element could be riveted to the needle near the head forming a permanent bond between the two parts. Graduations on the element beginning below the head provided a measuring scale on the side of the needle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,378,544, Fosse et al. discloses a knitting needle with a measuring scale on the shaft. Also disclosed is a transparent needle with a hollow core and a slidable core stem containing a measuring scale. The zero point of the scale was located near the pointed end of the needle. The scale was enhanced by the use of different colors and phosphorescence for visibility in limited light.
Hadler (U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,582) teaches a knitting needle with a measuring scale on the surface of the needle and specifies that the zero point be located at the base of the cone forming the point of the needle. In addition to the measuring scale, the needle exhibits one or more additional scales representing the number of stitches per unit of measure formed with different thicknesses of yarn. The knitter need only move the work-piece to the zero point of the appropriate scale to know how many stitches are held on the needle. The scales could be etched on the surface of the needle or applied with curved members that fit into depressions on the surface of the needle shaft. The head of the needle is threaded and can be removed and replaced with an extension that increases the length of the needle.
Though all of the needles containing measuring scales could be helpful to the crafter, it is necessary to position the needle so the zero point is contiguous with one edge of the work-piece while making sure that the work-piece is lying flat. Some of the prior art needles have the zero point near the head and some near the pointed end of the needle. None of the prior art needles place the zero point of the measuring scale at the very end of the needle to facilitate making the necessary measurements.
There is a need for knitting needles and other craft needles such as crochet hooks to have measuring scales on their surfaces placed so that the zero points of the scales are at the ends of the needles.